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Kicking off on Wednesday, January 31, the first event of the Intel Extreme Masters series for the 2024 Counter-Strike season, with the US$1 million IEM Katowice tournament taking place in Katowice, Poland.
Meanwhile, the final matchday of the League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Winter regular season will take place on January 29 as the top eight teams attempt to qualify for the playoffs.
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IEM Katowice CS2
The IEM Katowice Play-In Stage will begin on January 31, with 16 teams battling it out for eight IEM Katowice group stage spots.
Although IEM Katowice isn’t recognised as a Major, every Counter-Strike organisation and player wants to win the iconic season opening event.
Esports betting sites have Team Vitality marked as the $2.62 favourite to take out IEM Katowice, ahead of FaZe Clan ($4.33) and Team Spirit ($6.00).
Check out our extensive IEM Katowice CS2 betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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League of Legends EMEA Championship (LEC) Winter Split
The final matchday of the LEC Winter Split will take place on Monday before the top eight teams advance to the playoffs on February 5.
Team BDS can lock in the top spot on the table with a win over Karmine Corp, while Fnatic, MAD Lions KOI, Team Heretics and Team Vitality will go into the final day locked together in fourth place with each team owning a 4-4 record.
Check out our extensive LEC betting guide to get the latest odds and tournament information.
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@G2LEAGUE ARE THE 2023 #LEC WINTER CHAMPIONS
— LEC (@LEC) February 26, 2023
After an off-season full of drama and roster changes following a disappointing group stage exit at LoL Worlds 2022, the now 10-time LEC champions couldn��t have asked for a better start to their 2023 season.
G2’s mid-lane star Rasmus “caps” Winther took home the LEC Winter MVP award after a standout performance throughout the playoffs.
Your #LEC Winter Finals MVP: @G2Caps! pic.twitter.com/wxRYDotKXJ
— LEC (@LEC) February 26, 2023
G2 only dropped one map during the playoffs, against KOI in the upper-bracket final, before they went on to destroy MAD Lions, winning three straight maps to clinch the LEC Winter title.
The result is sweet revenge for G2 after they were knocked off their LEC perch by the Lions in 2021 when they took out back-to-back titles, seeing G2 Esports miss the 2021 League of Legends World Championship for the only time in their history.
Now that G2 have taken out the LEC Winter split, they have booked the first place at the 2023 Mid-Season Invitational, which will be held in London in May.
There won��t be a lot of time for G2 to celebrate, nor for MAD Lions to feel sorry for themselves, as the LEC Spring split kicks off in just under two weeks�� time, on March 11.
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TEAM BDS vs G2 ESPORTS LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | BDS $3.75 at GG Bet | G2 $1.25 at GG Bet |
| When: | February 4, 2023 | 20:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Lolesports, Twitch |
Team BDS are one of the most exciting surprises of the 2023 season, and after two weeks of action, BDS are in a very good spot. They’ve already won against SK Gaming, Astralis, Fnatic, and MAD Lions, which is admirable for their standards.
However, they now have to face what many believe to be the strongest team in the LEC. Perhaps G2 Esports lost that status following their loss against Vitality on Monday, but there’s no hiding that G2 Esports haven’t looked that strong since 2019.
So the question for this match is not so much whether G2 Esports will win but rather what Team BDS can do to come out ahead. This split has produced enough upsets to believe Team BDS can do it, but this isn’t a smart way to approach this match.
G2 Esports are a tier above Team BDS, and we expect that to show on Saturday.
G2 Esports -8.5 kills
FNATIC vs MAD LIONS LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | Fnatic $1.83 at GG Bet | MAD $1.83 at GG Bet |
| When: | February 4, 2023 | 22:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Lolesports, Twitch |
Fnatic and MAD Lions suffered massive upset defeats last week when they both lost against Team BDS. But Fnatic also had to admit defeat to Excel and Heretics, which set them back on their quest to reach the playoffs.
With a 2-4 record, Fnatic can’t afford to drop one more game. The same holds true for MAD Lions, but unlike Fnatic, they’re 4-2 and still in the race for a top-two finish. On paper, MAD and Fnatic look evenly matched, and some might even say that Fnatic are stronger, but that’s not the case.
Realistically, Fnatic should be 1-5, which tells a lot, making it hard to find a compelling reason to put money on them. Until Fnatic show, some improvement, fading them might be the optimal play. MAD Lions to win is an excellent bet at $1.83, worthy of an increased stake.
MAD Lions to win
LOS ANGELES GUERRILLAS vs TORONTO ULTRA
Los Angeles Guerrillas are 2-1 ahead of the final CDL Major 2 Qualifier week, with wins against Los Angeles Thieves (3-1) and Minnesota R?KKR (3-1). Toronto Ultra are 3-1 with Ws against London Royal Ravens (3-0), Florida Mutineers (3-1), and Los Angeles Thieves (3-0).
The Guerrillas didn’t have a very good Major 1, but they’ve since improved and have been doing exceptionally well on Hardpoint. Search&Destroy is still a bit shaky, and Control needs some work, but overall, Los Angeles Guerrillas are trending up.
Toronto Ultra’s figures from this qualifying event and last Major are better but not good enough for us to say that Ultra are significantly stronger. They looked good against the Thieves, Royal Ravens, and Florida Mutineers, but all of those teams are struggling.
Los Angeles Guerrillas are improving and can be a tricky opponent to beat. So even though we’re leaning towards Toronto, LA Guerrillas should put up strong resistance.
Prediction: Over 4.5 maps
LAS VEGAS LEGION vs OPTIC TEXAS
Las Vegas Legion have won just one series (1-2), which mainly has to do with their poor performances on respawns. Their only respawn win came on Hardpoint �C Mercado two weeks ago, when they beat Seattle Surge (3-2).
On a more positive note, the Legion are a very good S&D team, and if they can figure out how to perform on Control and Hardpoint, they will be very strong. The time to figure things out is, however, running out fast.
Legion’s next opponents, OpTic Texas, are the only unbeaten team ahead of Week 3 of the CDL Major 2 Qualifier. They’ve won against Boston Breach (3-0), Seattle Surge (2-3), and Toronto Ultra (3-1), showing a lot of good qualities.
And not only are OpTic a good respawn team, but they’re also solid on S&D, which will come in handy for this affair. So, at the offered CDL betting odds, siding with OpTic Texas to win with at least two maps to spare is the only logical play.
Prediction: OpTic Texas -1.5 maps
BOSTON BREACH vs FLORIDA MUTINEERS
Boston Breach enter this match with a 2-1 record, wins against Minnesota R?KKR (3-1) and Las Vegas Legion (3-1), and a loss against OpTic Texas (2-3). These results suggest that Boston will do well against lesser teams but won’t be able to compete against CDL’s top dogs.
Florida Mutineers have the same issue as Las Vegas Legion �C they struggle on respawns. Of the three games they’ve played in CDL Major 2 Qualifier, the Mutineers have won one respawn map (Control �C El Asilo against LA Guerrillas). But they’re good on S&D, meaning the Mutineers are just one step away from being competitive.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t look like a winnable match for Florida Mutineers due to a poor respawn record. They have shown some promise, but beating Boston Breach will take a lot more than a good Search&Destroy record.
Prediction: Boston Breach to win
FNATIC vs TEAM BDS
Fnatic lost their LEC 2023 Winter opening match against Vitality and added another rough defeat on Sunday against G2 Esports. The Black & Orange bounced back on the final day of Week 1 with a victory against KOI, but we can say that Fnatic didn’t deserve to win that game either.
Team BDS share the same 1-2 record, with defeats against KOI and Excel and a victory against SK Gaming. Of the three games, their match against Excel on Monday is the most noteworthy, as it showed Team BDS’s poor macro play and their ability to fight.
Fnatic were very underwhelming last week, making it hard to justify betting on them at the offered LoL betting odds. They’re better individually, but there are no guarantees in this game besides that it will likely be bloody.
Prediction: Over 24.5 rounds
EXCEL ESPORTS vs MAD LIONS
Excel Esports lost two games last week against G2 Esports and KOI but beat Team BDS despite ending the match with 11-18 in kills. Suffering two defeats in the first week isn’t great, but Excel played well, and from what they’ve shown, they should be a strong mid-table team this split.
MAD Lions are 2-1, but they’ve only won against SK Gaming and Astralis, while they were no match for Team Vitality. Beating Astralis and SK doesn’t mean much, and we can’t find any positives from MAD’s loss against Vitality.
Esports betting sites have Excel priced at $2.03, which makes little sense. They have yet to show anything confirming that they’re stronger than MAD, but the same holds true the other way around. At even money or better, Excel to win is the right play.
Prediction: Excel Esports to win
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G2 ESPORTS vs EXCEL ESPORTS LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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|---|---|
| Best Odds: | G2 $1.50 at GG Bet | XL $2.50 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 21, 2023 | 18:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Lolesports, Twitch |
?G2 Esports added ADC Steven “Hans sama” Liv and support Mihael “Mikyx” Mehle this offseason, forming one of the best bottom lanes in the West, but we don’t know how well the former teammates will gel with the rest of the squad. Likewise, there are questions about jungler Martin “Yike” Sundelin and how well he’ll do in his debut year in the LEC.
Excel Esports made several roster changes following the team’s most successful season in the LEC, keeping only ADC Patrik “Patrik” J��r?. The Czech ADC will team up with G2’s former support Rapha?l “Targamas” Crabb�� and a veteran top side of Andrei “Odoamne” Pascu, Andrei “Xerxe” Dragomir, and mid laner Vincent “Vetheo” Berri��.
Excel Esports might struggle internationally due to the limited upside of Xerxe, but they could very likely play for the bottom side, which should be the team’s plan. Vetheo is an excellent mid laner, while Patrik and Targamas can easily compete with any bottom lane in the LEC.
If we don’t put any weight on the brand value and player recognition, G2 Esports and Excel look evenly matched across all positions, so we’ll gladly take Excel at $2.50 with GG Bet.
Excel Esports to win
SK GAMING vs MAD LIONS LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | SK $2.75 at GG Bet | MAD $1.40 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 21, 2023 | 21:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Lolesports, Twitch |
SK Gaming put together a very underwhelming roster that will struggle to compete for a playoff spot, let alone the LEC trophy. Top laner Joel “Irrelevant” Scharoll is the only noteworthy player of SK Gaming, yet even he has much more to prove before we can consider him one of the best in his position.
MAD Lions re-signed ADC Maty��? “Carzzy” Ors��g from Vitality, who’ll team up with veteran support Zdravets “Hylissang” Galabov and top laner Kim “Chasy” Dong-hyeon, forming a solid core. But while MAD field a competitive roster, this squad also comes with a lot of volatility, especially in the bottom lane.
We will consider fading MAD when faced with weaker teams, but the skill gap in this match is too large for us to take SK Gaming. Still, this should be a bloody game.
Over 23.5 total kills
FNATIC vs TEAM VITALITY LoL BETTING & MATCH DETAILS |
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| Best Odds: | Fnatic $1.80 at GG Bet | Vitality $1.90 at GG Bet |
| When: | January 21, 2023 | 22:00 CET |
| Watch Live: | Lolesports, Twitch |
?The Bees had a disastrous 2022 campaign, struggling to live up to the name of Europe’s superteam; however, most of that was due to poor synergy. For 2023, Team Vitality replaced four members and kept only Luka “Perkz” Perkovi?, which just might be the right call.
It’s hard to say how Zhou “Bo” Yangbo and Kyeong “Photon” Gyu-tae will do in the LEC, but they’re very talented players who are slept on by the community. Fnatic also have some solid pieces, and the re-signing of Martin “Rekkles” Larsson makes them an exciting team to watch. But Rekkles’ return after an iffy season in the LFL raises plenty of questions.
Both teams have a high ceiling, but Fnatic might need a bit more time to ramp up, and it doesn’t help that the Black & Orange were very inconsistent last season. At $1.90, Vitality are a solid choice.